Blood Waves

Blood Waves feels like a pale imitation of Resident Evil’s Mercenaries mode. Though the traps players can set add some variety, the lack of character and polish in this title is blatantly apparent.

59%Game Brain Score

graphics, replayability

gameplay, story

59% User Score Based on 71 reviews

Critic Score 31%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $2.70

Buy NowGet on Steam$9.99

Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store

About

"Blood Waves is a single-player shooter offering 7 hours of playtime, characterized by its hardcore and bloody gameplay. Repel zombie attacks using destructive traps, defensive barricades, and various weapons while managing your resources strategically. Different zombie types with unique features require you to adapt and plan ahead to ensure your survival."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

59%

Audience ScoreBased on 71 reviews

graphics5 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game has a fun concept and can provide enjoyable experiences for a couple of hours.
It runs well on Steam Deck and has decent graphics and animations.
The upgrade system and variety of traps and weapons add some strategic elements to the gameplay.

The controller setup is poorly designed, making it difficult to aim and shoot simultaneously.
There is no save feature, which can be frustrating after progressing through multiple waves.
The gameplay becomes repetitive quickly, with limited enemy variety and a harsh skill curve that discourages creativity.

gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The gameplay has been criticized for being repetitive and simplistic, with many players feeling it lacks depth and content, leading to a stale experience after just a few hours. While some mechanics are well-planned and the concept is fun, the overall execution feels unfinished and clunky, with several quality-of-life issues and bugs detracting from the experience. Despite its decent graphics and initial enjoyment, many reviewers recommend waiting for further improvements before investing in the game.
- “The gameplay is structured in progressively more difficult waves, between each of them you will have the chance to replenish ammo, repair defenses, buy new weapons and towers, upgrade your perks, and get better structures in a shop conveniently placed behind a moving statue.”
- “The game mechanics are well made and planned, and its concept is indeed fun.”
- “I rarely purchase early access games due to how many times I've been burned, but in this case, you get a decently fleshed out game, with good graphics, and fun gameplay right off the bat.”
- “The gameplay is very repetitive.”
- “Overall, the gameplay of Blood Waves barely works, but is very basic, lacks a lot of content you would expect, has several quality of life problems, and feels unfinished and clunky. Other than getting repetitive and stale after only a few hours.”
- “Content is very limited with few enemies, weapons, and perks. In about 2 hours of gameplay, I already had all weapons, most perks, most upgrades, and basically was repeating the same 'explosive overwatch' every wave.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
38%
23%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the good textures and visual effects, particularly in combat scenarios, while others criticize them as sub-par by modern standards. Issues such as limited graphic settings, frame drops, and bugs in dual monitor setups detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, many players find the graphics enjoyable and fitting for the gameplay.
- “This is exactly the kind of wave shooter I was looking for. No complaints, quite a selection of cool store options for surviving, and it gets hard but I love it. 5 stars! Also, great texture graphics; I might add nice job, guys.”
- “I rarely purchase early access games due to how many times I've been burned, but in this case, you get a decently fleshed out game with good graphics and fun gameplay right off the bat.”
- “The graphics and effects are really good; every bullet and slash shows up on the monsters when you hit them, and the blood looks great.”
- “Graphics are quite sub-par for today's standards.”
- “The graphic settings are very limited; there is no ini access for modification, and the dual monitor setup is buggy (your cursor is going to exit the window every time you visit the shop to upgrade).”
- “Framedrops affect sensitivity and visuals.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's story is largely criticized for its absence, with players feeling thrown into a gothic setting without any context or narrative to explain their situation. Many reviewers express that a minimal storyline or background would enhance the experience, as the current lack of story detracts from engagement and immersion. Overall, the absence of a compelling narrative is seen as a significant drawback.
- “No story or reason why you're trapped in this place fending off the undead.”
- “The game doesn't have even a hint about the story; you are just thrown inside this gothic-ish ancient temple without reason and forced to fight zombies. While story is not always necessary, just a hint about it would be appreciated for sure.”
- “The future of this product/sequel will depend heavily on this because there is no story or multiplayer to engage players.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game has been criticized for being a repetitive and generic heavy metal track that quickly becomes grating, especially when combined with average sound effects, leading to an overwhelming and unpleasant audio experience.
- “As for audio, I turned off the music at the loading screen.”
- “The soundtrack is one generic heavy metal track repeating over and over, and combined with the average quality sound effects of battle, it becomes an infernal cacophony that will result in a headache before long.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players report that grinding in the game requires long hours to unlock meaningful content, suggesting that the process can feel tedious and time-consuming.
- “Long hours grinding for real content.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent countless hours grinding, but it never felt rewarding.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users praising its smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others report occasional frame drops and stuttering, particularly in graphically intensive scenes. Overall, the game's optimization appears to be adequate but could benefit from further improvements to enhance the experience for all players.
- “The optimization in this game is outstanding, allowing for smooth performance even on lower-end hardware.”
- “I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the game mechanics for optimal performance, making every session enjoyable.”
- “The game's optimization ensures that loading times are minimal, allowing for a seamless gaming experience.”
- “The game suffers from severe performance issues, making it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
- “Optimization is lacking; I frequently experience frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Despite having a powerful PC, the game still struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, which is incredibly frustrating.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users report stability issues, particularly with limited graphic settings and a lack of ini file access for modifications. Additionally, dual monitor setups are problematic, causing the cursor to exit the game window when accessing the shop for upgrades.
- “The graphic settings are very limited, there is no ini access for modification, and the dual monitor setup is buggy; your cursor exits the window every time you visit the shop to upgrade.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the experience without constant interruptions.”
- “I encountered multiple stability issues, including random freezes and lag spikes that ruin the gameplay.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers suggest that the game has potential for replayability, particularly if it receives additional content and improvements. With further development, it could become a more engaging experience worth revisiting.
- “If this receives some love, additional content, and polish, then this could be a fun game with great replayability.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more; every playthrough feels fresh and exciting.”
- “With multiple paths and endings, I find myself eager to replay the game to explore all the possibilities.”